


LuNa: can't help falling in love (with you)

by hiropopi



Category: One Piece
Genre: And i will go down with this ship, F/M, Luffy-centric (One Piece), Minor Roronoa Zoro/Nico Robin, Modern Highschool AU, Nami-centric (One Piece), No angst!!, Song: Can't Help Falling in Love, both are in love okay, first fic, fluff? mostly, i stan this ship, modern highschool!one piece, more characters later in the story, nami and robin are bffs, this is just for fun pls, this is lighthearted btw!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25070143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiropopi/pseuds/hiropopi
Summary: modern highschool!One Piece AU: where Nami doesn’t have time for love and relationships, and Luffy likes her.----in short: a bunch of sweet and fluffy luffy x nami moments in a highschool setting.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Nami
Comments: 13
Kudos: 54





	1. - prologue

**Author's Note:**

> hiropopi here: this is my first fanfic (that i plan on finishing + one piece fanfic) so i hope you'll enjoy it! this is just a prologue so it isn't really interesting nor important to the story, but i hope you'll stick around when chapter 1 + more chapters are published! thank you, <3

_“..wise men say_

_only fools rush in_

_but i can’t help falling in love with you..”_

The music rang across the room. Nami was still asleep on her bed, tired from the event that took place at her school, Mugiwara High, yesterday. It was an annual event where students have to go on a strawberry and apple picking trip, then return back to their school to make pies for their last day of math week (a 5-day event where all of their activities revolve around mathematics) as pie is pi.

As the song became louder, Nami is starting to wake up. She grabbed her phone to turn off the alarm and to also checked her social media accounts. It was 10:34 AM on Saturday, which means more time for Nami to re-study her notes from this week. “What should I eat..” Nami asked herself as she looked at her timeline full of food posts. ‘ _Egg and toast it is,_ ’ she thought with much lack of interest. She stood up and proceed to do her morning routine: wash her face, brush her teeth, cook and eat.

It was a nice morning today; the weather wasn’t too hot, birds are chirping on her balcony, and there was a nice scenery in front of her. She lives alone on her apartment at Sapporo, while Nojiko lives at Tokyo, that’s why her place is quiet and peaceful. As she sips her hot coffee, she checked her messages from Robin, who wanted to spend time with her today. Nami smiled as she replied to her:

 ** _ **N** _ ** _: sure!! but i have to redo my notes for a couple of minutes_

_is that fine??_

**_**R** _ ** _: yup! can i study with you too?_

 **_**N** _ ** _: of course!!_

After their little interaction, she gulped down her coffee and began to eat her breakfast. “I should study science today, we do have a quiz on Monday,” Nami murmured to herself as she washed the dishes, sweeping the floor afterwards. As she was putting back her broom and dustpan, she heard the doorbell rang. ‘ _Oh she’s here!_ ’ Nami thought excitedly, peeping the little eyepiece to confirm that it was Robin who rang the doorbell. When she unlocked the door, Robin quickly hugged her best friend and greeted her, “Good morning!”

Nami softly giggled and greeted her back. Robin quietly took off her shoes and stepped in the apartment, gracefully sitting down on one of the chairs. Nami locked the door then proceed to grab her laptop and science notebook from her room, then sitting down next to Robin, who seems to be finding a specific page as she was flipping through a book swiftly. “What are you looking for?” Nami asked, starting her laptop as she looked through her notes.

“I’ve picked this up on the way here, it’s about various of previous civilizations and their contributions to modern society,” Robin explained happily, her eyes still scanning through pages. Nami, who was now typing her previous notes onto her laptop, questioned “Didn’t we discussed that before?” which Robin nodded, “Yeah, but this one has much more information and really accurate compared to our school books.” The two then studied quietly for an hour.

Nami stretched her arms and back after she was finished with redoing her notes, walking to her room. “I’m just gonna take a shower, then we can go out wherever you want.” Robin hummed in reply as she stood up and sliced a piece of strawberry shortcake in the refrigerator. After a couple of minutes, Nami got out of the shower and dried herself. She did her usual routine after taking a shower, leaving her whole body soft and making her smell like a mix of jasmine and may rose, a fresh fragrance.

She decided to wear a blue-green t-shirt with black skirt suspenders. She blow-dried her hair and put lipgloss on. Ta-da! She’s all set and ready to go outside with her best friend. She grabbed her sling purse and left the room. “Took you long enough,” Robin sighed as she put her book inside her backpack, letting Nami to wear her sandals first before she wore her shoes. “I’m sorry! I tried to act quickly but I guess it didn’t happen,” Nami sheepishly apologized, opening the door for Robin.

Robin chuckled as she wore her shoes and going outside after, waiting for Nami to lock it. “It’s okay, I was just kidding. The strawberry shortcake was delicious by the way, did you make it?” Nami hummed happily in reply. After locking the door, the two walked down the stairs while lively chatting. “I worked so hard for that cake! It was my first time baking it, that’s why I don’t want to believe you.”

They were finally outside the apartment and Nami softly smiled as she looked at her surroundings, ‘ _It’s truly beautiful here in Sapporo! Still can’t get enough of it._ ’ As the two were walking, Nami noticed that they were going towards their school’s path. “Where we going, Robin?”

Robin looked at Nami amusedly, “What? You didn’t know?” Nami furrowed her eyebrows, looking back at Robin, “What do you mean?” The raven-haired girl shook her head, chuckling to herself, “I know you’re not into sports and all, and I know you’re so into your studies, but I thought you’ll at least know what’s happening in our school today.” Nami didn’t retorted back, instead she’s waiting for Robin to say something more about what’s going to happen. Robin sensed that the other won’t reply back until she continued to what she’s been saying, and fortunately so, she did. “There’s a basketball match between Mugiwara High and Dressrosa Technical High...”

Nami stopped walking, knowing what Robin is going to say next. The other turned her head to look at Nami, silently hoping that she'll agree to come with her after what she was about to say, “..and I want you to come with me to see the game.”


	2. -- chapter 1: attracted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiropopi here: this is the 1st chapter of the story! i hope you like it (* ^ ω ^) i also changed the plot/au part where luffy knows nami but she doesn't know him to make it easy for me to write. !! kinda spoiler: arlong is two years older than nami and since this story takes place one year later, he already graduated from Mugiwara High. just a heads up!

“But Robiiiiin..” Nami complained. She was not really interested in sports, let alone watching an actual match! Robin sighed as she crossed her arms, “Listen, I know you’re not into basketball and things like that, and I know you’ll may find it boring once the game starts; but trust me on this one!" Nami didn't reply for a few seconds, acting as if she was thinking about it but really, she didn't have other plans in mind. She already redid her science notes, so she doesn't have any other things to do. "Fine, but treat me to lunch after!" Robin chuckled at this, "Of course, wouldn't want you to be sulking all day, would I?"

As both of them continued to walk on their school's path, Robin remembered something, "Oh! I also heard that Luffy is going to play this time.” Hearing an unfamiliar name, Nami arched one of her brows, “Luffy? Who’s that?”

Robin softly gasped at her friend, surprised that she doesn’t know who Luffy is. Although she knows the other doesn't care much about "useless" things aside from her studies, it’s still a real shocker that she doesn’t know Luffy, who is an extremely popular student in their school. “Y’know.. Luffy.. the captain of our basketball team and, allegedly, a popular playboy.”

Nami let out a quiet "oh" before continuing after a few seconds of silence, "Still don't know him." Robin shrugged both of her shoulders, "Well maybe if you start to actually care about others and your surroundings, instead of just paying attention to your studies, you'll know him." Nami scoffed at the remark the other made, but also acknowledging it as one of her personal problems. "I know. I just.. Ever since my last relationship with Arlong.." she stayed silent, not knowing what she should say next. It's not like Robin doesn't know this, so what was the point of explaining it to her?

Robin glanced at the other worriedly, thinking that she made her sad or uncomfortable. "It's okay, I understand. I just hope that you'll lighten up instead of distracting yourself with studying, y'know? That was a year ago, Nami, don't you think it's time to let it go and enjoy yourself—and life—a little more?"

There was silence around them for a few seconds, Nami not replying back because she knows that what Robin was saying is true. It wasn't her fault that her relationship with Arlong ended badly; he's the one at fault for being so toxic and manipulative, not her! So why was she distancing herself from people—not giving them a chance to be close with her—as if it was her "punishment"? She knows it's dumb, yet she still doesn't want to open up. She knows it's time to move on from that mindset of hers, it has already been one year after all. But she already got her heart broken before, she won't let it happen now.

“How come you know him? I thought you weren’t interested in boys?” Nami asked, trying to change the subject, which was fortunately successful. “I’m not, but I keep hearing his name from my seatmates during vacant time. My classmates are so into school “dramas”—or whatever—to the point that I even find it amusing,” Robin replied, letting out an inward laugh, “I heard that during their previous match with Hazard-P High School, Luffy didn't get to play as his ankle got injured, which lead to us losing by a 1-point difference.”

Nami hummed in reply. She doesn’t know what to say—what could she even say? She doesn't have any latest gossip nor has information on students, unlike her best friend, so she just stayed quiet. ‘ _Since I’m with Robin, I think I can watch the game without getting bored,_ ’ assuring herself that she’s going to enjoy it, although she’ll still choose studying over this anytime. Suddenly, Nami questioned, ‘What does he look like?”

Robin briefly looked at Nami before jokingly answered, “Quite weird for you to ask about a boy's appearance." Nami rolled her eyes as she slightly pinched the other's side, "Just tell me." "He’s um.. I think you can tell who he is once we watch them. I heard from others that he has a really alluring and noticeable presence, maybe that’s why a lot of girls are attracted to him.” Nami nodded as she started to think about what he looked like, ‘ _A noticeable presence, huh? Does he have bright yellow hair? Or maybe it’s green! Hahahaha, that’s so stupid.. this is so stupid. Why did I even.._ ’

As the two approached the entrance of their school after walking for half an hour, they suddenly heard a loud bell and a voice shouting at them, “Watch out!” Robin quickly grabbed Nami’s hand and pulled her to her side, making Nami slightly lose her balance. Before going to Robin’s side, Nami got a glimpse of the person: black hair, black eyes, a light scar under his eye, and tan skin. He was attractive, she admits, he’s got this innocent-boy next door vibes. “Sorry about that!” was the last thing she heard before seeing him quickly park his bike and running off to somewhere.

“Well that was.. something,” Nami let out a breath, wondering if he's part of the team considering how fast he wants to go inside the building. Robin laughed at this. “Indeed. Although he kinda looks familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before but I don’t know where..” As the two continued with their walk to the school’s stadium, Nami can’t stop thinking about the guy that they encountered earlier. As they stepped in the court and sat in the front row, she realized that she was still thinking about him, ‘ _What are you thinking, Nami?! Don’t even bother thinking about stuff like this, don’t you remember what happened the last time you fell for a guy?_ ’ She softly shook her head for a second before looking at the court.

The court was full of students and even staff members. Half were filled with Mugiwara High students, while the other was full of Dressrosa Technical High. Everyone was cheering for both of the teams who were going to play, and Nami hated it. Well, hate is a strong word, instead you can say that Nami really dislike loud noises and big crowds. It was too much for her and that's why she doesn't go to parties, but that doesn't mean she can't do anything fun. She _is_ fun, just not into loud things. As time went on, Nami found herself getting used to the atmosphere and also, finding herself thinking about the guy every 10 seconds.

"Hey, you okay?" Robin questioned, noticing that Nami has been quiet for a few minutes. The game was about to start soon. Nami hummed, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just.. just thinking about something." Robin slightly tilted her head, "Something? What is this 'something?'" The orange-haired girl crossed her arms as she pouted her bottom lip, "More like some _one_." Nami quietly sighed as she continued, "I've been constantly thinking about that weird guy earlier. I don't know why, it's like I was bewitched by him or whatever."

Robin stared at her best friend with wide eyes, finally connecting the dots from earlier to now. Familiar face? An alluring or "enchanting" presence? For sure that's him! "Oh! I think he must be Lu—" she was cut off by the screams of the crowd. Both of the teams are now present in the court, making everyone scream their lungs out, cheering for their school's team. As soon as Luffy walked in, Nami noticed him since she was seating in the front seats. "Robin! Isn't that the guy?" she exclaimed while pointing at him, to which Robin nodded. Following the black-haired boy were three people with unusual hair: bright yellow, bright blue, and dark green. Then, after them came other students who looks normal. ' _Huh. Didn't noticed there are people with those hair colors in this school_ _._ '

"Zoro! Sanji! Franky! Luffy!" the students screamed louder than before, making Nami sighed as she tried to focus her eyes on the boy, who was talking to the guys with yellow and green hair. "What were you about to say, Robin?" The said girl looked at Nami then back to the court, "I think the guy earlier was Luffy." Nami hummed in response, thinking to herself. ' _Figures. I guess what Robin said was true.. again,_ ' she quietly sighed, _'I guess he does have an alluring presence in him, no wonder the girls are shouting his name so much right now_.' As if on cue, whenever Luffy looks at their side, the girls began shouting his name like crazy! "Luffy! Omg! He looked at me!" one girl who was seating above Nami said, "No! He looked at _me_! Stop being delusional!" another girl exclaimed.

But actually, Nami was the one he was looking at as he remembered what happened earlier at the entrance. He was late for the meeting about re-discussing their strategy for their match against their opponents, knowing that the basketball team from Dressrosa is hard to beat since most of the players are bigger and have heights taller than them, giving them major advantage. But just because they're like that, that doesn't mean that they're better than him and his team, and Luffy knows that for a fact. The said opponents may be big in height, but their skills are just below from the ones Mugiwara's basketball team have.

Unbeknownst to Nami, ever since their little encounter at the school's entrance, Luffy kept thinking about her. Actually, even _before_ their little encounter, he still was thinking about her. It's a secret that only Luffy knows, it's basically him having a crush on Nami since 10th grade, when they were 16 years old. He never had her as his classmate before, which was weird considering the students are being put together randomly and not once did they became classmates, but it was fine. As long as he sees her in school, it was enough for him. Well.. kinda. He does want to have her as his girlfriend but knowing what happened to her last relationship, it's best to avoid that thought. After all, it's not like he has a chance anyways. Or maybe he does.

"One minute!" one of the school's staff shouted, making everyone hyped and excited for the game. Hearing this, Luffy shrugged that thought, focusing on the game that they were about to play in just a few seconds. As he looked around, everyone is either shooting, stretching, or warming up. "Hey guys!" Luffy exclaimed, waving his hand in a circular motion to gather all of the team. Once all their players are in a full circle, Luffy grinned widely, "Let's kill this!" All of them shouted loudly before doing the formation to start the game. As he hears the whistle and see that the referee threw the ball, he quickly tapped the ball, officially starting the game.

Since the game started, everyone has been cheering from the top of their lungs, filling the court with their chants and a various mixture of names. "Hey Robin! Nami!" The two heard someone mentioned their name from Nami's right side. As they turn their heads, they saw Usopp and Brook walking towards them while waving their hands. Robin waved back at them while smiling, whispering a small "Hello!" "Oh, hey guys!" Nami greeted them, giving them a friendly smile before asking, "Did you just got here?"

Usopp nodded, "Can we sit nex to you guys?" asking after sitting down next to Nami. Nami lightly smacked the back of Usopp's head before laughing, "Don't ask _after_ you did it, stupid!" making the three laugh with her. "Sorry, sorry!". Nami focused her attention to the game that was happening in front of her. She did try to watch all of the players equally, but she can't help but to look at Luffy everytime. It's as if she _really_ was enchanted by him, and it made her feel confused. Why now? Why is she feeling this way towards him all of a sudden? He is attractive, she does admit before, but why can't she take her eyes off of him? It's not as if he's anything special.

As the game went on, Luffy felt that something was off. It's not coming from his team, as everyone was playing in high spirits, nor his opponents. But it's as if it's coming from the crowd. When he turned his head to slightly glance at the crowd, his eyes instantly looked at Nami, who was staring at him intensely. This made Luffy tense up, not from being scared or weirded out, but from finally having Nami notice him. The other team signalled for a timeout, so he had time to feel.. whatever he's been feeling.

It's a mix of happiness, excitement, confused, and a little bit of shyness. His crush is finally looking at him! And that made him all giddy inside. "Oi, Luffy," Zoro voiced out, bursting Luffy's bubble, "What you looking at?" Luffy smiled at him cheekily before replying, "Nothing! Just wanted to see our supporters and all." Zoro arched one of his brows, not buying what their captain said but didn't pushed it either. He doesn't care that much, although it's quite suspicious.

When the timeout ended, everyone went back in the court again. Before playing, Luffy looked at Nami, smiling widely and quickly pointing at her with one thought in mind. ' _Keep your eyes on me_.'


	3. -- chapter 2: 7-11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiropopi here: hello and welcome to the 2nd chapter of the story! hope you enjoy it <33 i'm sorry if there are times where the characters are (super) ooc, i'm going to fix that! but anyways, please read on!

The two made eye contact for a few seconds, Nami's eyes widening in surprised, realizing that Luffy was pointing at her (with this stupid grin on his face, though she wouldn't admit that it was cute) before he started to play seriously. Wondering about what just happened aside, everyone—especially the girls—was whispering to each other about who Luffy was pointing to. Whispers of "omg is his girlfriend here?" and "who was he pointing to? was it to you?" made her feel uncomfortable in her seat. As she was about to talk to Robin about why he pointed his finger at her, Usopp suddenly exclaimed, "NAMI! DID YOU SEE THAT?". To which Nami sighed in response, looking at Usopp with a 'dont-even-talk-about-it' face, "Yes Usopp, I saw it."

The other just made weird hand movements for a couple of seconds before continuing, "YOU KNOW HIM? HOW DID YOU MET—" He got cut off by Nami, who sharply grabbed his ear and started whispering in it, "Shh! Can't you be more discreet about it?"

Usopp was about to say something until Brook popped in, "Yohohoho~ you and Luffy-san know each other? Hmm?". Nami groaned in annoyance as the last thing she wants today is to be associated with someone she barely knows, especially if that someone is the reason why many girls seems to be gossiping about it after. "Listen, I don't know him and he probably doesn't know me. Maybe he was pointing at another girl that was just close in my direction," she tried to explain to her friends, who were looking at her with a questioning gaze, "I mean? That's the only logical explanation."

Robin hummed, placing a finger on her lips, "That may be true but.. I don't think that's the reason." Nami let out a small breath before emphasizing, "I _don't_ know him, okay? So how come he knows me? Why would someone point a person they never met? That doesn't make any sense." Usopp nodded his head slowly for a couple of times, "Uh-huh, you do have a point. But.." Nami raised her eyebrows at this, waiting for him to continue. "..But what if _he_ knows you but you don't know him?". Hearing this, Nami crossed her arms to think for a while, considering about what Usopp said.

What he had said might be the case, as his explanation was kind of possible to happen, though something doesn't add up. How come Luffy know her even though she haven't met him? Maybe he just saw her one day and recognizes her now? Maybe they talked or interacted before and she just didn't recognize him instantly nor asked his name? but Nami doesn't seem to remember that. The name "Luffy" doesn't ring a bell in her memories.

She shrugged off the thought, not wanting to think about it anymore, and sarcastically replied to Usopp, "And you expect me to believe that?". To which the said person nodded with a grin on his face, "Yes I expected you to believe that."

"I agree on what Usopp said, Nami-san." Brook insisted, looking at Usopp in pity as the other's cheeks are being pinched by the said girl. Nami stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Brook, who was now hiding behind the bag that he brought, thinking that he was about to get pinched by her too. Nami softly sighed, calming herself—especially her thoughts—down. Well, they weren't Luffy, so they don't have to figure out his reasons or his intentions now. "Just drop it, it's probably not that important. Let's watch the game instead."

" _Three points for Mugiwara High! It's now 16-13 Mugiwara to Dressrosa!_ "

* * *

" _Two points for Mugiwara High! With the total scores of 28-22 Mugiwara to Dressrosa! Mugiwara High Won!_ "

Nami stretched her arms. The match started at around 12 PM and it's about 2:30 PM now, so sitting down on those plastic chairs for a long time really make one's body ache. "Where are you guys heading to now?" Usopp asked, extending an arm to help Nami to stand up. Holding onto his hand while standing up, she brushed her skirt before replying with a cheeky smile, "Robin's going to treat me for lunch, right?". The said girl hummed in agreement, "Yes. I don't want you to go hungry, after all."

Usopp and Brook looked at the girls with puppy eyes, obviously wanting to come with the two to wherever they're going to eat. "Can we come with you? You don't have to treat us, Robin-san" Brook pleaded, hoping that the raven-haired girl will say yes. "You guys can starve," Robin uttered, the tone of her voice was emotionless and her smile wasn't helping either, making the two boys slightly quiver.

"Sure you can join us! Where should we eat though?" Nami asked as she realized that they haven't planned on what to do after the game. "We can all hang out at 7-11. It's near, cheap, and has lots of good food," Usopp suggested eagerly, making the three agree with him. "Alright then! Let's go to 7-11!"

Luffy laughed with his teammates, feeling the cool breeze whenever he was being thrown up in the air, cheering for their victory over Dressrosa. They were tough to deal with, he admitted, but they were still lacking compared to them. As he was being tossed in the air, he remembered Nami watching him throughout the game. Nami was watching him play. Nami _noticed_ him. That thought made him feel like he's on cloud nine, so happy that his crush (may) finally knows his existence. Did she enjoy the game? Does she think I'm cool? Luffy could write a novel full of possibilities on how or what Nami was thinking when she watched him.

Thinking about Nami, Luffy wanted to go back to the court, hoping that he can see her again today. "Hey guys! Can you put me down? I'm gonna do something," he ordered his teammates with a smile on his face. He really wants to see Nami again before celebrating with the team later. "You're not gonna come with us, captain?" Franky asked as he put Luffy down, to which the said boy lightly slapped the back of his head. "Of course I'll celebrate with everyone! I'm just gonna check on something quickly," he explained as he returned to the court as fast as possible.

Franky nod in understanding. Whatever this "something" was, it seems to be important for their captain. "Okay! I suuupeeer understand," he said as he did his signature pose after, making the members chuckle with his behaviour. Once Luffy entered the court, he immediately looked at the place where Nami was seating before, feeling disappointed when he realized that she was no longer there. ' _Aww, I wanted her to stay a little longer.. Oh well! No point in dwelling, I'm starving_ ,' he softly hummed happily as he walked back to the building, thinking about all the food he can eat later.

"Hey, don't you think something's off with Luffy, idiot?" Zoro observed as he look at the returning figure of the raven-haired boy, crossing his arms. "Hmm.. I don't think so," Sanji replied, looking at Luffy then back at Zoro, realizing that the other just called him an idiot. "What did you just called me, you shitty bastard?!" And as if on instinct, the two are now pressing their foreheads at one another, trying to throw the other's balance.

Luffy laughed at the two, still being amused from their constant "fights". He put both of his arms around their necks, dragging them as he walk to the building's other exit. "Enough fighting you two! Let's eat, I'm starving!"

 _'It's good to be back again with the group,_ ' Nami smiled. Everyone was sharing their experiences with the event that took place this week as they walk on the way to 7-11, their usual hangout spot. Since they're not in the same classes anymore, unlike before, they missed out with each other's activities. Although they're not in the same class, their friendship still remains strong, and Nami is grateful for that. Usopp keeps on telling how Brook and him got the most strawberries yesterday, while Robin told them that the pie she made was delicious. Brook keeps on telling his "skeleton" running gag jokes as usual, which made all of them laugh. Overall, they had a pretty fun time together. 

As Nami turned to her side, she noticed a bouquet of yellow flowers in the showcasing pane of the flower shop they passed by, making her pause in her steps. It was eye-catching for her so she looked around the glass pane to know its name. "What is it?" Robin asked, noticing that Nami stopped walking, also looking at the direction where Nami was facing. "What's that?" the orange-haired girl asked, pointing at the bouquet, "It's pretty." Robin examined the flowers before answering, "Those seems to be daffodils." Nami looked at the price, having an impulse of buying it, but stopped when she realized she doesn't have any vases.

"Daffodils, huh? They're pretty."

"It may be pretty, but the meaning is quite sad," Robin said as a matter-of-fact, her eyes searching through the shop's flowers.

"Hmm? Why do you say so?"

"Daffodils symbolize unrequited love; love that wasn't reciprocated."

Nami hummed in response, amazed at how her friend knows hanakotoba, "I guess it is pretty sad." As she looked on the side, she noticed that the daffodils were surrounded by a bouquet of camellias in different shades. "What about those flowers?"

"Those are camellias. There are different meanings for each shade, but it's mostly about admiration and love."

Nami stared at the bouquet of red camellias, a glint of wondering in her eyes, before mumbling. "Love, huh? Well that's silly." Robin looked at Nami in confusion, "What did you say?". Nami chuckled softly, "Nothing." Robin was about to say something as she opened her mouth, but Nami cut her off, "C'mon! Usopp and Brook are waiting for us!" She then grabbed Robin's hand as she started to run to the two boys, who were standing in front of the store waiting for them to catch up. "What took you two so long?" "Sorry!"

As the group were eating their lunch and talking with one another, Nami looked at the window to see the view, but then gasped with what she saw. "No way.." The three looked at her, confused at first but then realizing what—or more like _who_ —she's looking at: Luffy (and the other members) walking to the store. "Okay, so um," Nami started to say, slowly looking away from the window to give her friends a knowing look. "Let's go." She suggested while standing up, hoping that the boy won't notice her and she can make a quick exit without being spotted by him.

"Where are you going?" Brook asked, confused why Nami was suddenly leaving, "I think he doesn't mean any harm, yohohoho! Why don't you give him a chance." Nami groaned while rolling her eyes, deciding to sit down as she noticed the no one wants to go up. She knows that the "chance" Brook was referring to was about love and romance, and she does not have the time for all that! Being committed to someone takes a lot of one's effort and attention, meaning there would be a decrease in her study time. Nami knows this all too well, already experienced of what being in a relationship feels like before.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for "finding romance", okay? Give him a chance my ass."

Luffy was talking to his members, congratulating them for their play earlier. It was a good, long game and it made Luffy starving, that's why they're in 7-11. 1) to celebrate their win and 2) to feed the void of a stomach Luffy has. As they entered the store, he noticed a familiar figure that was sitting down on one of the chairs, seems to be in a light argument with one of their friends. When he turned to that direction to fully see the person, he realized that it was Nami. ' _Nami?! She's here?!!_ '

And as if he just gotten hit by a truck full of confidence and shamelessness, he silently walked over to the group with a huge grin on his face. It's obvious that he was happy to see her (and obvious that whatever he's about to do, it would be stupid), and if that smile wasn't a huge giveaway, maybe the beats of his rapid heart will. He gathered all of his courage and will to say one word, "Hey."

Hearing his voice, Nami inwardly shiver with panic. She wasn't good with socializing, but she wasn't bad at it either; however, when she heard his voice talking to them (or her) in person, her brain decided not to function properly anymore. This made her even more confused, just great!

She quietly clicked her tongue with her head slightly down, avoiding to look at the boy. ' _Why. Why. Why. Why. Why?!_ ' She didn't want to talk to him, so she silently wished that maybe he'll find this awkward and that he would leave as an instinct. But _nooo_ , Luffy's too confident and shameless at this point to even back down from what he had started.

Robin softly nudged Nami's side with her elbow, signalling that she should say something, while smiling at Luffy. "Hello, Luffy," Robin greeted him with a tone that everyone in the group was familiar with—The two-faced voice. Nami suppressed her urge to laugh at Robin, knowing that that's the best action to do in this situation. Luffy didn't noticed it and instead, pushed his luck further. "Hello! I saw you all watching the game. Did you enjoyed it?" The way how his voice sounds so soft (or childlike) and has lingering of innocence made Nami think back to what Brook said: " _I think he doesn't mean any harm" "Give him a chance._ "

Usopp was about to reply until Nami looked up, making a choice to not avoid him anymore. She subtly examine his face as if he was something new in this world. "Yes, we did enjoyed it. Good game and, uh, congrats," was all Nami said before breaking eye contact with Luffy, feeling intimidated by his stare. Luffy smiled even wider, his happiness increasing, "I'm glad! And thank you!"

He extended his hand to Nami, who looked at it with a confused expression. "I'm Luffy." Nami stared at his hand for a couple of seconds, contemplating whether or not to introduce herself to him. He did point to her during the game, which means he already knows her. 'What's the point of saying my name then?' would be the thought the "usual" Nami would think of, but _something_ about him makes her feel that perhaps, she does need to give him a chance.

' _To hell with it._ '

Nami hold his hand and gently shook it, noticing that his hands were quite rough. And with the nicest possible voice she could ever pull off, she said, "I'm Nami. Nice to meet you." Luffy, filled with much delight, shook her hand rapidly for what seems to be 5 seconds until a guy with green hair grabbed his collar and dragged him off, not without saying "Excuse my captain, he's an idiot sometimes" first. As he was being dragged by Zoro, he continuously waved his hand at the group. "See you all next time!"

Watching the other guy scolding Luffy outside, the four of them can't help but to smile. "They seem like good people," Usopp said as he continued eating his food. "Especially their captain! Yohohoho~," Brook mentioned, drinking a cup of tea. Nami was still looking at Luffy with one hand on her cheek, thinking about if what she did was right. Robin then turned to look at Nami, following her gaze and uttered in a calm manner, "Surprised to see you change your mind, what happened?"

Usopp and Brook were now looking at Nami, who was still resting her cheek on one hand and let out a small sigh, diverting her gaze. "I don't know. Seems to me that it was the right thing to do," she replied nonchalantly, returning her gaze in the direction of Luffy, who was waving at her while his teammates were walking away. Nami waved back at him, making Luffy smile widely again then turned to catch up to his members. The other three looked at the interaction of the two and smiled softly, knowing that whatever relationship that would blossom within them, it would make Nami happy.

"Yeah, you did the right choice."

It was 3:20 PM when everyone was finished with their lunch, they went outside to talk more. While the three were walking, Nami looked at the flower shop again, searching for the bouquet of daffodils. She arched her eyebrows in confusion to only see a bouquet of the red flowers she saw earlier, "Where are the daffodils?". She was about to look at the other bouquets when Usopp suddenly mentioned her name, "Oi Nami! What are you looking at?". The said girl, after hearing her name, walked towards the trio with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry! I got distracted for a second."

' _Oh well, camellias are beautiful too._ ' 


	4. -- chapter 3: coincidences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiropopi here: hello! i'm quite busy these days so i'm sorry if i update slowly and if this chapter is really short :c i also kinda rushed the ending cause i wanted to post a new chapter for you guys! sorry about that too :c i'll try to better my writing (of my story and the characters); nevertheless, i hope you'll enjoy this chapter <3 (｡･ω･｡) *their appearance is based on their post-timeskip but they're (their age is) around 16-17 yrs old c:

It was already 6 PM when Luffy returned to his home. He gently exclaimed while taking off his shoes, "I'm home!" as he was tired from their game and celebration earlier. "Welcome back!" a male voice greeted him, seems to be coming from the kitchen. Smelling something delicious, his mood instantly changed from being tired to being hungry. "Oh Sabo! Are you cooking?" he asked in surprised, entering their kitchen to see his brother cutting meat. ' _Meat!'_ he goggled, placing his hands on his stomach as he looked at the food in excitement.

Seeing his brother impatiently wait for his food, Sabo chuckled as he quickly cut the meat, knowing the other's tendency to eat everything on his sight. As Luffy watched his brother prepare the dish, Sabo ordered him. "Luffy? Can you set up the table?" The said boy nodded his head as he grabbed two plates, cutlery, and a big bowl of rice. Once everything was ready, Luffy eagerly said "Let's eat!" before gobbling up the dish his brother made.

"Fwen dish you rearn horw to cook, shabo?" Luffy questioned while still chewing, his words incoherent due to the big amount of food in his mouth. Sabo looked at him worriedly, thinking that he'll choke any moment now. "Koala taught me how to cook whenever I visit her," Sabo nonchalantly explained as he took a spoonful of the food. Hearing the girl's name, Luffy looked at him in a questioning gaze, "Is she your girlfriend?" Sabo coughed in surprised when he heard his brother asked him that question. "W-what made you think so? And how do you even know things like that?!"

Luffy inwardly smiled to himself before eating again, not wanting to answer the second question. "Oh by the way, Sabo! We won our match against Dressrosa earlier! They were.." Luffy started to tell his day to the other, who was listening intently as he started to forget the question. "..And then I saw Na—" Luffy caught himself almost exposing the name of his crush to his brother, who realized that the other abruptly stopped. "You saw who?" Sabo questioned as he slightly leaned to his side to grab the pitcher. 

He wasn't supposed to tell his brother his crush's name now, but not thinking of a better way on how to escape it, he continued on what he was about to say. "I saw Nami and the others there. She's one of my classmates," Luffy flashed his brother his usual grin before consuming all of his food, though it made him slightly nervous—emphasize on slightly—as he told a little lie. "You shouldn't eat so fast or else—" Sabo got cut off by Luffy's "I'm finished! Thank you for the food!" He quickly stated as he stood up, hugging his brother before walking in a fast pace towards his room. "Well that's weird.." Sabo staggered, mumbling to himself about how Luffy didn't helped him clean up after.

 _"..like a river flows surely to the sea_  
darling so it goes  
some things are meant to be _.."_

Luffy softly sang to himself, lying down on his bed as he looked at the ceiling, already finished rinsing his face and brushing his teeth. He started to reminisce what happened between him and Nami, and how he suddenly made his move. It's like something inside him knew that it was time for him to just _do_ it. Does this mean making her his girlfriend? His not sure, but he will go with the flow and just leave it up to fate.

He just have a crush on her. A crush is a crush, no matter how big or small it is. It's far from being in love, he knows that much. Having her as a friend is enough for him.. or not.. he's not sure. But he doesn't need to be sure _now_. Someday, everything will fall into place, he just needs to wait.

Thinking about things like that made him sleepy, and so with a soft exhale, he drifted off to sleep.

_"Ace! Sabo! look, look! I found this big beetle!" Luffy shouted as he ran towards the two brothers, who were talking to each other about something. Hearing their names, they both turned around to see the youngest running to them with a beetle on one hand, and a net on the other. "Woah! That looks cool!" Sabo gushed, his eyes were examining the beetle in excitement. Ace chuckled at the two, though impressed at how big the beetle Luffy caught._

_Luffy grinned when he saw how the two looked at his beetle, then remembering that they talked earlier, causing him to be curious. "What were you guys talking about?" he asked as he let the beetle fly, making Sabo frown. Ace hummed for a couple of seconds, considering if he should tell Luffy or not, but of course he chose the latter since the three don't keep secrets from one another._

_He looked at Sabo with a knowing look, to which the other made an 'oh' sound. "Well.. we're not sure if you'll understand since all you think about is food," Sabo snickered and Ace giggling after, making Luffy pout with furrowed eyebrows. "We were talking about his crush," Sabo pointed at Ace with a bored look on his face, "And that he "loves" her."_

_Luffy crossed both of his arms, still pouting his bottom lip, "I know about love! I love you guys and gramps!" The two brothers lightly pat the top of Luffy's head, already knowing that his view on love was still centered around family (and friendship). Ace hang his arm around Luffy's neck, pulling him to his side. "But this love we were talking about is different from the love you have for us," he explained while grinning at the other, who was evidently confused._

_"How so?" Luffy asked as he crossed his arms. Not knowing how to describe it, Ace hummed for a couple seconds t_ o _think. "This love is like.. well, it's difficult since their are different meanings for each person," Sabo started while raising his index finger, "But that's what makes it special. Love is this feeling that you can't explain but you'll understand it once you're there. It's full of fluttery-ness and happiness, but there are times where it hurts and where it's confusing, but it's okay. In the end, it's still beautiful."_

_"How "poetic" Mr. Sabo," Ace sneered with his hand covering his mouth, making Sabo flushed a light shade of red in embarrassment. "Shut up!" he lightly exclaimed without meaning all of it. Luffy stared at his two brothers in confusion, still not understanding the difference of this "love" was. "I don't get it."_

_Ace smiled at Luffy with one of his eyebrows arched, "You'll understand it one day." And with that, he ruffled Luffy's hair before running away, "You're it!" Sabo giggled as he started running too, playing along with the other's antics. Luffy widened his eyes in surprised. "Ehh?! That's so unfair!" he complained while running off to where his brothers went, quickly forgetting their conversation earlier and just start focusing on their game._

Luffy slowly opened his eyes, feeling the sun's light hitting his face. "We miss you, Ace." He mumbled softly, turning on his side to avoid the light. He already accepted his brother's death, so it doesn't hurt when he dreams about him sometimes. Though his heart ache not because of sadness, but because of nostalgia. He really missed his brother.

Letting go of that thought, he continued sleeping on his side, hugging one of his pillows. Though this time, it wasn't about Ace and Sabo anymore, but it was about Food, and that made him smile subconsciously. After minutes had passed, Sabo suddenly shout his name, "Luffy!"

"Luffy!" He continued on as he went towards the other's room. "Luffy wake up!" was the last thing he said before shaking his brother until he woke up, which worked after a few seconds. "Huh? Wha-wha..?" Luffy murmured under his breath, rubbing his eye as his vision started to go back to normal, as well as his consciousness. "Your friends are here, they said that you're going to hang out?" Sabo explained slowly, making sure that the yet-sleepy Luffy was understanding it.

The other groaned as he sat up, stretching his arms and back. He smiled widely at Sabo, knowing that he'll enjoy his day today with the crew. The crew was comprised of: Zoro, Sanji, Franky, Chopper, and him, so of course it'll be a fun day! They were his close friends after all.

Nami was at the mall with Robin, looking for the two boys who said that they were by the food court. When she got back to her apartment yesterday, she took a quick shower and proceed to change into her pajamas with one thing on her mind: 2-hours study session in science and mathematics. She could also do a little in-depth research about geography, but she realized that it'll take her hours to satisfy her "little research" to the point she couldn't get her beauty sleep. So she chose to do her 2 hours session only.

As Nami was finally finished with her studies, she stretched her arms and back, letting out a tired sigh. She closed the lights before lunging herself onto the bed, shifting slightly until she was comfortable with her position. With a close of her eyes and a quiet exhale, she feel asleep, dreaming about a particular someone. To give a more detailed explanation, she dreamt about talking and laughing with Luffy on top of a building. Though the setting was weird, the main point was them, hanging out together.

She then woke up in the morning with a weird feeling in her chest. ' _Hn.. I don't like this.._ ' she frowned as she stood up, lightly scratching the side of her neck. Aside from the setting, her overall dream was weird. Like, who dreams about being with someone they just met? She wasn't sure if it's a sign or if the dream even means anything, and she wasn't sure why is she even thinking about it when she could just _move_ on.

Nami called Robin while looking through her closet, picking out a white, mini length sweetheart dress with puff sleeves. Smiling as she was pleased with her today's outfit, Robin accepted her call. "Yes, Nami?" Robin said with a warm voice, "Do you want anything?" Nami quickly went to her bathroom, holding the phone on her right hand and holding her clothes on the other, "You want to come to the mall with me?"

Before asking that question, Nami already knew what her friend would say, so she was confident with the other's answer. "Okay!" Robin replied as Nami imagined her friend subtly smiling. "I'm going to invite Usopp and Brook too," Nami added with an excited tone as started to imagine the fun all of them would experience later. The two exchanged words for a few seconds before ending the call with Nami's "See you later!' and Robin's "Bye-bye."

After the call, she placed the shower's temperature to the warm part and opened it, letting the water change from cold to warm. Once everything was set, she removed her clothes and got into the shower.

Back to the present: Nami started to tell Robin her "crazy" dream yesterday, "By the way, I had this weird dream last night." Robin looked at the other with raised eyebrows, nodding to signal her to continue. "And then.. Luffy?" Nami's eyes widened in bewilderment as her cheeks started to feel warm, instantly noticing the captain of their basketball team laughing with his group of friends. "Luffy-san was in your dream?" now Robin was the one feeling confused. 

"Uh, yes, but also, no," Nami replied with a tone of disarray, her eyes still fixated on the boy's face. It's not that she was attracted to him—although he was attractive—but because him being here at the same time, on the same floor as her, and with the dream she had last night: all of it looks like a sign. If not, then it's all a coincidence. Not to mention that they were near the escalator where the food court was situated above. Really such a coincidence!

Robin, who was sill confused, got even more confused from the answer Nami gave. "Yes? but also no..?" As she started to follow Nami's gaze, the said girl quickly grabbed her wrist, a thin smile forming on her lips. "I mean, he was in my dream but that wasn't the reason why I mentioned him," Nami explained as she tried to stop the other from following her gaze by lightly dragging her away from the escalator, but it was too late since she noticed that Robin's eyes were now looking at the group.

"Aren't we supposed to go the food court?" Robin asked sternly, giving Nami a serious face, understanding the sudden change in behaviour of the other. Nami gulped down a little bit of her saliva, feeling kinda guilty of what she did. Usopp and Brook might have been waiting for a long time at the food court, yet all she thought about was avoiding Luffy, even if that means making the two wait for more. But she wasn't _that much_ guilty, only a little bit, like a 'drop-of-water' kind of amount.

Nami sighed in defeat as she let go of Robin's wrist, to which the other smiled in comfort. "Fiiiinee, we'll go to the food court now. Let's just try to avoid them, okay?" Nami stated as she began walking towards the escalator quickly, and comfortably since she noticed that Luffy and his friends were now out of her sight. They might have went inside one of the stores, lessening the chance of seeing him again, which gave her much relief.

As his crew were ordering at a ramen store, Luffy glanced around the area in boredom. Though that feeling didn't last too long as he noticed a familiar shade of orange hair in the corner of his eyes. With hope evident in his eyes, he completely looked at the orange-haired person, and was delighted to see Nami. Then again comes the truck that hit him yesterday when he saw her at 7-11, the truck that was carrying a load of confidence and boldness, he got hit by that again.

When the two girls sat down, chuckling at how the other two complained about how late they were, Nami glanced up to see Luffy walking towards them, with the same grin that he had before. ' _Oh no, here he goes again_ ,' Nami winced to herself, quickly looking back down and started to act that she didn't see him. Luffy somewhat frowned when he saw that Nami didn't greet him even though he was sure that she saw him. Still, he didn't let that thought get to him and he continued to walk towards the four.

"Hello!" he chirped in as he waved a hand at the group, who looked at him in shock (except for Nami, but that's already a given) to see that he was there. "Hello Luffy!" Usopp greeted him with a smile. "Luffy-san, hello to you too" Brook waved at him, while Robin just nodded in acknowledgement. After the three greeted him, they looked at Nami with knowing smiles on their faces that screamed "greet him too!".

Nami diverted her eyes away from the three, looking at the floor for a few seconds before greeting him back, "Hi, Luffy." Hearing this, Luffy smiled wider than usual, placing his index finger on his philtrum. Looking at his smile, Nami felt that weird feeling on her chest again. ' _Ah whatever.._ ' even though she dismissed it, the feeling was still clearly there. It was really something different, but she didn't mind it too much.

As Luffy was about to say something, he got interrupted by his friends. "What are you doing there, Luffy?" a small, tan guy with a pink hat asked. Followed him were three boys: one with bright yellow hair and curled eyebrows, the other with green hair and a scar on his left eye, and the last one was tall with blue hair and muscular form. It was a weird combination of appearance but somehow, it also looks normal.

The one with yellow hair looked at Nami and Robin, who seems to be examining them, and his eyes instantly turned into hearts. "My! Luffy.. you didn't told me that you knew such two fine goddesses?!" he exclaimed as he wiggled side by side towards the two, pouting his lips as if he was asking for a kiss. "Hello, my name is Sanji! May I ask both of your names?" he inquired as he continued making a kissy face. Both of them looked at him in disgust and as a result, Nami punched the top of his head. "No way!"

After punching him, the one with green hair laughed at the scenario that happened before him. "That's what you get, stupid," he muttered before introducing himself, "I'm Zoro." Then the one with blue hair spoke up, "It's suuupeer nice to meet you! I'm Franky and this," he pointed at the small one, "is Chopper." Chopper flashed them a cute grin before exclaiming, "Hello!"

The four smiled at the group, noting how different but close they are with each other. Just like them. Usopp was the first one to introduced himself, then Brook, then Nami, and the last one was Robin. After their introduction, Luffy's group was about to leave until the said person proposed an idea. "Hey! Let's all hang out together! Then we can all be friends."

Everyone thought about it for a minute, agreeing at what he said after. Though all of them agreed, one person still haven't said anything. That person was Nami, of course. She wasn't so sure about this. She does think that the other group looks fun to be with, and she knows that they would go along pretty well. But one thing was blocking her from deciding, and that is: spending more time with Luffy. By spending time with the other group, then that instantly means that she'll spend more time with the raven-haired boy. She knows that she already gave him a chance to be friends with, but it was all happening too fast for her.

Then again, she could be overthinking about all of this and she just needs to calm her thoughts. Maybe she _is_ ready to befriend him and to stop avoiding the boy whenever she sees him? Maybe she doesn't want to get closer since she's risking her heart in the process, knowing that she has the tendency to catch feelings quickly, that's why she distance herself from others... Okay, maybe she _is_ overthinking about this and she just _really_ needs to calm down. 

Heck, does he even like her in the first place?!

Noticing that she didn't say anything, Luffy looked at her worriedly, which did not went unnoticed by his close friends. Walking to her side, Nami looked up to meet his eyes as she noticed his shadow over her. She also noticed that those eyes were sparkling, full of wonder and innocence and.. and something else. Actually, she does know what that 'something else' was, but she dare not acknowledge it. It's better that way for her. Yet it made her chest experience that weird feeling again.

Aside from his eyes, she also noticed his smile. A smile so pure, genuine, and comforting, and all of that were directed towards her. The feeling increasing on her chest with each passing second as she examined his smile. It was cute and gummy-like, but she wouldn't say that. She wouldn't dare to even admit that. "Nami," he called out to her, making her look at his eyes again. "What do you say?"

And without any second thoughts—with no hesitations, with just him asking that simple question, she agreed. "Okay." 


	5. -- chapter 4: poster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiropopi here: hello everyone! welcome back to another chapter of the story c: i'm still busy these days but i've been trying to write every day for a couple of minutes c: anyways, please enjoy! <3 (｡･ω･｡) *again, i'm sorry for the ooc-ness of the characters :c i tried to make this as in-character as possible while maintaining a lovey-dovey atmosphere. when the story is finished, i'll re-edit everything! <3

The group was walking around the mall for quite some time, talking and laughing as they enjoy each other's presence. They were times where they went inside a clothing store since the girls wanted to look around, times where they went inside a gadget shop since the boys wanted to.

Nami giggled to herself as she observed how everyone's personality fits together like a puzzle. She could see that they could all be in one group, and her social skills were increasing as time went by. Looking at her side, she saw Luffy laughing loudly with Usopp and Chopper. She smiled softly at the three before looking at Robin, who was giving her a knowing face.

"You seem to finally be comfortable around him," Robin whispered in Nami's ear with an amused tone, noticing how the other seems calm and collected even if she was near to the certain boy. Nami, who was now looking ahead, shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it looks like he doesn't have any ill intentions," she explained while quickly glancing at the raven-haired boy, "And I did give him a chance to befriend with."

Then she paused for a couple of seconds before continuing, "And it's not like I'll fall in love with him or whatever." Robin hummed shortly in response, smiling at the orange-haired girl then focusing her gaze on Luffy after. "Let's see about that."

**\- fast forward to a few months -**

"LUFFY!" a voice shouted behind the said boy's back, who was sitting comfortably outside their building. "What did you do?!" The raven-haired boy turned around to see Nami, who was holding a rolled-up paper while her other hand was resting on her waist, looking worn out. Luffy smiled sheepishly at the girl, half-happy and half-nervous to see her, knowing her kind of temperament when she's displeased. "Hi, Nami!"

After the two of them hung out a few months ago, they frequently meet up with the group. They got to know one another and they got close rather quickly. Especially Luffy and Nami, considering how both of their personalities complement each other. Nami wasn't afraid or filled with discomfort whenever Luffy is around anymore, which was a huge development for her. Both of them were comfortable with each other, not to mention they look more lively or happy when together.

Nami let out a small huff before murmuring, "Don't be all smiley, stupid." Luffy, who did not hear what the other said, pointed at the paper she was holding. "What's that?" he asked curiously, to which the orange-haired girl clicked her tongue before unrolling it, revealing a terribly made poster of their school. "I asked you to make a good idea for the banner for next week!" she explained profusely in irritation, "but look what you did! It's.." She thought about what word she could use to describe it, not wanting to hurt the other's feelings. "It's bad!" That was an understatement.

The poster was for the annual, week-long event that would take place in their school next week to celebrate its founding anniversary. A week full of amusing and social activities, various available booths ranging from food to clothes, and other students from different schools can join the fun as well! It's a week for students to enjoy the liveliness of the school's atmosphere with their classmates, friends, and co-batches. It's not required for all to join, but it's highly recommended!

Luffy examined the poster he created, mentally cringing at it in distaste. "Hmm.. you're right," he uttered while still looking at the poster, to which Nami slapped the top of his head. "Of course I'm right!" she exclaimed in annoyance as she started to roll back the paper, sighing after. She glanced at Luffy with a serious face, "Can you.. make another one? You know the other coordinators won't approve of this, right?" she requested with furrowed eyebrows.

Being one of the coordinators for this event took a toll on her. She looked exhausted and weary, her hair was a mess, and she was forming slight dark circles under her eyes. She wanted to sleep for at least 3 hours since she hadn't caught any of it for the past days this week, reading stacks of papers that were suggesting ideas on what to present or do next week and reviewing the reports of each coordinator after school. Even at home, she continues to do these.

"But Namiii," Luffy dragged her name, crossing his arms as he pouted, "I'm tired." Hearing this, Nami's eyebrows twitched, feeling offended. "Oh, really?" she scoffed as she turned around to walk away, "Good luck with that then." Luffy looked at her retreating figure with worried eyes, he noticed that she looked really tired and he realized how insensitive he sounded seconds ago. ' _Ahh... I guess I have to do this then,_ ' he thought while standing up, stretching his arms before walking to the building.

When he got inside, he saw many students working with their projects on the floor. Some were inside of the classrooms, while others were outside. Some were discussing their plans next week, while others were painting signs and banners. As he watched how they were making their banners, an idea popped on his head. ' _I should ask help from them!_ ' and with that on his mind, he cheerfully walked towards a group.

"Hello!" he greeted, sitting beside a girl with short brown hair, "Can you please help me?" The girls looked at him with flushed cheeks, feeling bashful to see Luffy in front of them. He _was_ one of the most popular boys in their school, really attractive on top of that! So for him to give them attention, they felt very special! "U-um.." the one with black ponytail stuttered, "Of course, Luffy-kun!" The other girls nodded, still not believing that this was all happening. 

Luffy grinned before leaning towards the girl, "Really?!" To which she nodded vigorously, her whole face was red like a tomato. "Alright! Thank you!" he happily said, grabbing one of their brushes to start making his poster. ' _I_ _'ll make sure that Nami finds this beautiful!_ ' 

As he was doing the banner, he was also busy chatting with the girls, who were laughing at his jokes and blushing whenever he gets close to them. The students who were passing by them kept thinking how good he is with girls and flirting, but then again, was it _really_ flirting? All he's doing was making friends with them with no other intentions in mind, after all. He doesn't care what others think about him though, because he knows himself the best and that's already enough for him.

Nami was in her classroom, still reading the files and papers that other students gave her earlier. "You should go outside for fresh air, you know?" Robin suggested while she was writing something on a wide card stock, "Give yourself a break." It was only her and Robin in the room, as the other students were in the halls or outside the building. Nami replied while continuing reading the paper she was holding, "I need to submit this to the others before dismissal."

"One-minute break wouldn't hurt, would it?" Robin asked, gliding the tip of the marker on the side of the paper. The orange-haired girl thought about the idea for a moment, contemplating whether or not she should do it. After a minute passed, she placed the paper on her table, putting her pencil case on top so that it wouldn't fly away. "Fine."

As Nami was walking in the hall, she heard students murmuring about something. Though she was curious regarding what they were gossiping about, she decided to talk to Luffy since she remembered how she treated him earlier. With that, she looked around the hall for him and was relieved when she saw him sitting on the floor. But as she started to walk towards the raven-haired boy, she noticed that he was leaning close to a girl, one of his hands on her side as the other was reaching for something. Their faces only a few centimeters apart, and Nami can't help but feel disappointed. The reason? She doesn't know, and she doesn't care.

When she was about to turn away, a voice called out to her, making her stay in her place. "Nami-san!" Sanji shouted as he went towards her with open arms as if he was going to receive a hug from the said girl. Though he got easily distracted when he saw how beautiful the other girls in the hall were.

Luffy, upon hearing her name, stopped leaning to the girl and slightly twist his torso to look at Nami. He was expecting her to either be happy or angry—even being calm was an option—but was surprised to see her confused and.. hurt? instead.

Nami immediately met Luffy's eyes, making her feel more disappointed. Breaking their eye contact, she quickly turned around and strode to the classroom, hoping that the feeling would disappear after she drowns herself with work. Once she got inside, she silently sat down on her seat and proceed to read the papers without uttering any word. Robin noticed the aura that was exuding from the girl, but she didn't ask about it, thinking that it's none of her business to pry.

And Nami was grateful that the raven-haired girl refrained from asking questions.

Luffy felt sad as he wondered what or who made her do that face since it was evident that she was confused and disappointed. He swiftly grabbed the paint that he was trying to reach earlier and quietly go back from what he was doing, not talking or making jokes this time. The girls took note of the way how his whole demeanor had changed, and thinking that it was their fault, they helped him with his banner as a form of apology. As a result, the poster all of them created turned out to be beautiful. 

He grinned cheekily when he saw the outcome, his usual self came back which made all the girls smile at ease. "Thank you so much!" he smiled as he rolled the paper once it was dry, putting a rubber band to secure it. "She'll be happy about this!" he smiled even more, making the girls looked at each other in confusion. "Luffy-kun," a girl with pigtails spoke up, "Who are you talking about?"

Luffy gave them a warm smile, slightly holding the plan tightly. "She's someone special to me."

Robin glanced at the orange-haired girl who was sitting next to her. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart as she softly breathes in-and-out, using her hands as a pillow. Nami was sleeping peacefully, both her face and aura were in a state of tranquility. All her energy was consumed by doing so many duties. Her tiresome expression was now replaced by restfulness, and Robin couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was happy to see her friend finally getting the rest she deserves after days of constant work.

The raven-haired girl set down the papers inside the box that was beside Nami. Returning to her work, she heard the door opened, switching her attention in that direction. She saw Luffy blithely walked towards them, waving his hand while smiling broadly. She noticed that the other's clothes have paint blotches on them, as well as on his face and hands.

"Hi, Robin! Where's Nami?" he asked as he showed the other his poster. "I want her to see this! Doesn't it look cool?!" he gushed in excitement, evidently wanting to show his work to the orange-haired girl. Robin quickly examined the poster, surprised that it _actually_ came out great and that it has a high possibility that it would be their main poster for next week. "It looks great, Luffy." The said boy grinned in reply, rolling it back.

Robin pointed to her side, revealing a sleeping Nami. "She hasn't gotten any proper sleep since Monday," she explained while standing up, "I'm going out for some fresh air. Can you look after her for a while?" Luffy, who was still looking at Nami troubledly, let out a small "hm" to the other. ' _I hope you're okay, Nami._ ' He didn't realize that he was still standing until he heard the door closed behind him.

Deciding to sit down on Robin's chair, he carefully placed the poster in Nami's desk, not wanting to wake her up. He tenderly gazed at her, admiring her state of peace and beauty. Noting how naturally pink her cheeks were, how her lips were plump, how her skin looked velvety to the touch, and how her eyelashes are so long. Everything about her in this moment screams delicateness, and that tugged a string on Luffy's heart. 

After waiting for a few minutes, Robin still hasn't come back and he was starting to get bored. "Nami," he gently tapped her shoulder, hoping it would wake her up. "Oi, Nami." He tried to shake her softly, which only got a grunt from the girl. Luffy sighed in defeat, realizing that it wouldn't be easy to wake her up. He positioned his elbow on top of the desk, resting his chin on his hand as he continued to look at Nami.

"I know you won't hear this, but.," Luffy said with faint hesitation, "I'm sorry." Nami turned her head to the other side, her face not visible to him anymore. Thinking that she's awake, Luffy's eyes shone in enthusiasm, but that soon faded when he realized that she was still sleeping. Looking down, he continued, "I don't know why you pulled a face like that earlier like.. you were sad." He paused for a few seconds before adding, "I'm sorry if I made you sad."

He glanced at Nami's hair, extending his hand to hold it, but stopped in his actions when he registered what he was about to do. "I did the poster and hopefully, you'll like it this time." He went silent for a couple of seconds before continuing, "I've made new friends earlier and they helped me with it." He gently smiled at the other. "I'm going to buy some food. I won't be too long." He got up and went to the door, standing in front of it as he looked back at the sleeping figure of the said girl. "Rest well, Nami," he said before leaving the room.

He knows that the other was still sleeping, so it was unnecessary for him to even talk to her. But spilling his thoughts or his feelings to her made him feel less guilty, so he didn't mind it.

Unbeknownst to him, Nami was already awake when he started shaking her before. She didn't want to see or interact with him, that's why she decided to act asleep. At first, she wanted to leave the room when she realized that Luffy was there, but she thought it was irrational and decided against it. When she heard the other apologized, she couldn't help but turn her head, opening her eyes to see the window.

When Luffy was explaining, she lowered her eyelids as she listened to the other with a peace of mind. The feelings of disappointment left her heart, exchanged by warmth. When he stopped talking, Nami heard footsteps getting quieter as seconds passed by. "Rest well, Nami," was all she heard from the other before hearing the door opened and closed.

"Idiot," she muttered under her breath, sitting properly as she stretched her arms and back. Though she said that, a small smile crept on her lips and a light blush warmed her cheeks. She grabbed the poster under her desk, looking at it with amusement. ' _It looks better.. I'm glad they helped him._ ' She felt guilty for what she felt earlier, it was stupid and wasn't Nami-esque of her. She rolled back the poster and placed it inside the box, simultaneously getting the other unread papers to continue studying it.

"Oh! Where's Robin?" She looked around the room, seeing that she's all alone at the moment. Letting out a small sigh, she began to focus on reading again.

After minutes had elapsed, Nami heard the door opened, making her turn in that direction. While she was still looking at the paper in her hand, she spoke up, "Robin! I need help with the—" Her request suddenly came to a halt when she felt a pair of arms situated on her waist, pulling her in a close embrace. She widened her eyes in shock but quickly comprehend who was hugging her.

"Luffy!" she cried out, her left hand pushing the other away while the other was trying to remove one of his forearms. "Stop it! I'm being squished!" As he noticed that she was trying to break the hug, he shortly let go of her and stood straight, looking at Nami with puppy-eyes. "What was that for? Honestly.," she talked under her breath, turning away from Luffy to continue with the papers.

Luffy sat down next to her, watching how she was keenly analyzing every sentence on the papers, making notes and marking them if they were approved or not. "I'm sorry," Nami unexpectedly blurted out when minutes have passed, her eyes still locked on what she was writing. Luffy slightly tilts his head in confusion, knitting his eyebrows as he spoke, "What are you s—"

"Let me speak first, dumbass." Nami let out an irritated exhale. "I've made you worried, didn't I? I'm sorry," she explained while still writing down labels and pins on each sentence she finds reasonable. What wasn't reasonable to her, though, was the fact that her heart was beating quite rapidly. Maybe because of the stress? From both the work and the incoming reply for her apology. Yeah, maybe that was it.

She expected him to smile or even hum to reply, but of course, this _was_ Luffy we're talking about. He always does the unexpected when you least expect it. He hugged Nami so hard and unanticipated that they both fell from her chair. This moment of theirs was like a comedic-romance gag that it can possibly be displayed in such shows.

When their foreheads touched, their eyes made contact with each other as well. Blushing furiously, she placed both of her hands on his chest to push him away. "Get up, you idiot! You're heavy!" she exclaimed while still trying to push him, to which the other smiled in amusement. "Seriously, Luffy! Get off!" she demanded in an angry tone, making the said boy immediately stand up, smiling sheepishly at her after.

"Honestly! I still have to finish these papers before dismissal," she exasperatedly said as she stood up, brushing the back of her skirt with her hands. She glared at him before seating down on her chair, determined to finish her work. Then, laughter filled the room, making Nami questioningly gaze at Luffy. "What's so funny?" she asked, to which the other gave her a fond smile.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you, Nami."

The orange-haired girl flushed a deep shade of red, her eyes dilating in embarrassment, and her heart is secretly filled with happiness. She quickly turned her attention to the papers, yet no words nor ideas were being conveyed—just mindless reading. She inhaled a few quiet deep breaths before hesitantly replied, "I'm happy with you too." Luffy flashed one of his biggest (and warmest) grin at her.

Aside from their little moment, a particular raven-haired girl was also making a move.

Robin was about to go back to the room earlier. She planned to only stay out for just 5 minutes, but when she saw how puzzled and hopeless a specific green-haired boy was, she couldn't help but assist him. Zoro was supposedly on his way to meet Sanji and the others in room A-103 but got confused about where he should go.

With that information, Robin guided him there. Though they talked for only just a couple of minutes, there has been some progress between them, and Robin inwardly smiled to herself knowing that she'll tell this to Nami later.


	6. -- chapter 5: a little gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiropopi here: hello everyone! i'm super busy for the past week(s) so i didn't have the time to update. this is a short chapter so i'm sorry about that also :c i wanted to at least update even just a little. i hope you'll still enjoy this chapter! much love <3 (´｡• ω •｡`) and i will try my best to update once i'm not busy anymore!

It was already the school's founding anniversary, and everyone was having a blast. There were booths with many to offer; music that brought liveliness; festive and beautiful decorations all-around; and a crowd with various students and faculty members that were enjoying themselves. An atmosphere full of energy and enthusiasm, what a sight to behold!

Though some students weren't enjoying much of the event: either they were busy with tasks, or they haven't brought enough money to use for the whole day. Nami was the former and she couldn't help but feel pity for herself. She thought that she could have at least a day off from her "coordinator duties" to hang out with the group and enjoy the event with them. Alas, here she was, managing a booth. A haunted house booth, to be exact.

There was a sign on the outside wall of the classroom that says " **HAUNTED HOUSE** " with red paint. The entrance for the house was a black garbage bag, and the classroom was decorated with skeletons, fake realistic-looking knives, and dimly lit candles. The windows were covered with an opaque material, not letting the sun's light pass through. The walls have frames that hang pictures of creepy figures as well as decorating it with blood smears. The light was turned off, and only a few tables and chairs were present since those are where the "ghosts" would hide. Although the room wasn't _that_ scary, the makeup and effects of the students were of high-quality.

People were lined up excitedly. They were eager to experience the popular haunted house booth that was known for its horrifying scares, only taking place during the school's founding anniversary.

Nami sighed as she wrote another report for the booth, jotting down about how someone collapsed once they had entered. The boy was unconscious while the girl was trying to wake him up. She still doesn't understand how the other coordinators accepted this type of booth. Although it was quite entertaining, it still gives away risks to the participants. For example, last year, one of the students who was playing as a demon got injured due to being punched heavily by another student in a fright.

Thinking about that incident made her more agitated, already imagining other similar events happening later on the day. Robin was also one of the coordinators, but she was assigned to a different booth in another building, leaving Nami bored and uneasy by herself. 

' _If only someone can accompany me..,_ ' she silently wished as she hands out a box with a small slit on top to the next customer, signaling them to put the required money before entering the room. She has been sitting beside the "door" since the event started, making her body stiff and uncomfortable. She wanted to take a break from her "managing" duties for a while, even just for 5 minutes!

But knowing how much chaos the haunted house would bring if she wasn't present; being away for minutes would make her seem unresponsible in the eyes of the faculty members who assigned her, which would deduct points on her morals. All she could do now was to wait until everyone wants to take a break or she gets a notice that says she was finished for today, then she could enjoy the event with the group.

Luffy was walking around the school with the boys, buying every food from each stall that they passed by. As he was scanning through a stall's sign while chewing on a piece of meat, he saw that there was a basket full of tangerines (and other fruits) on the table. Both the smell and color of the citrus reminded him of a specific orange-haired girl, making him hum as he stared at the tangerines for a long time.

Seeing how he was intensely staring at the fruit, the vendor furrowed his eyebrows before coughing his throat. "Hello there! What would you like to buy?" Luffy immediately shifted his attention to the vendor, who was smiling at him. "How much are these?" he asked while pointing at the basket, which made the other raised his eyebrows in confusion. "They're just for display," he explained while handing out a paper with names of different foods, "I sell these, all of them taste good!"

Luffy glanced at the paper. He was tempted to buy the ones that looked delicious to him, but he decided against it. "I want to buy the tangerines with the basket," he persisted as he crossed both of his arms, looking at the other with a serious face. "I'll give you 380 yen, just give me the tangerines and basket." The vendor stared at the boy in disbelief, slightly scrunching his nose.

He sighed after a few seconds of silence had elapsed, noting how the boy was determined to buy the citrus. He removed the other fruits and placed them on the table, wrapping an orange-colored ribbon around the handle of the wooden basket after. He still doesn't know the reason why the boy wanted to buy the basket of tangerines rather than meals, but as long as he's selling something, then that's okay.

The vendor gave the other the basket, watching how the boy looked at it with a satisfied smile on his lips. "Give me 260 yen instead," the seller spoke up, grinning when he saw the other looked up to him with enlarged eyes. "Really?!" Luffy gasped when the price was lowered, saving him lots of money in the process which means more food later!

The man grinned widely as he nodded, "Yeah. Those are just tangerines, after all." Luffy then placed the money on the table, leaving the stall after thanking the seller. "What took you so long?" Chopper asked while munching on the food he's holding. Luffy let out a snicker before showing everyone the basket, putting his index finger beneath his nose. "Ta-dah! I bought tangerines!"

The group was perplexed at the sight of the basket that was in front of them. Luffy doesn't usually care for other foods that aren't meat or sweets, so why would he buy a basket full of tangerines? While the group was thinking of reasons for the fruit, Luffy spoke up, "You guys think she'll like it?" Then it hit them: those tangerines weren't for himself, but for Nami instead!

The boys all let out a small "ahh" when they understand the situation. Although he hadn't told others about his feelings for Nami, they all knew about it since it was written blatantly on his face. They hadn't realized it until a couple of months ago though. The first to notice were Zoro, Sanji, and Franky, then the next ones were Usopp, Brook, and Chopper.

Unsurprisingly, Sanji was fuming when he figured out the raven-haired boy's feelings for Nami, but he let it go when he saw how happy he was with her. Zoro was amazed that Luffy can _actually_ feel love—or even crushes—that wasn't the friendly or familial type since he thought the other wasn't interested in things like this. Franky felt like a proud father who witnessed his son fall in love with an ideal girl.

Usopp and Brook were worried for him, knowing Nami's views on relationships and how her previous one treated her, though they still silently supported Luffy since he was different from Arlong. Chopper didn't give too much of a reaction or thought when he figured his feelings for the other, thinking that it was normal to fall in love and it shouldn't be such a big thing to fuss about.

The only one who was oblivious to his feelings was Nami herself, but maybe that would change as time goes by?

"Yohoho~ is it for Nami-san?" Brook asked teasingly, making the other nod his head energetically. Before Sanji could react, Luffy cheerfully exclaimed. "Shishishi~ She'll like it!" He started to walk in a different direction to where the group was supposed to go. "Oi Luffy! Where are you going?" Usopp questioned with a slight tilt of his head.

Luffy turned to his back to look at the group, smiling at them widely before answering, "I'm going to see Nami!"

As he was walking towards the building where Nami was assigned to, he received a message from Sanji.

 _ **Sanji**_ : Don't take too long

We still have to practice later

Room B22

 _ **Luffy:**_ okaaaay

He huffed as he turned off his phone, shoving it in his pocket. He quickened his pace, eager to see how the orange-haired girl will react to his surprise.

When he reached the floor, he looked around the hall and let out a small whistle when he saw how many students were lined up. He went to the other side of the line with a bright smile on his face while exuding a commanding presence, which made others (especially the girls) focus their attention on him. When he can finally see the orange-haired girl, his smile became wider and he shouted out, "Nami!"

The said girl instantly turned her head to the direction where she heard her name. Her lips formed into a small smile as her eyes spotted the raven-haired boy walking towards her. He can provide at least some sort of entertainment that would free her from the boredom she was feeling for the past hour, and she thanked God for that! She then turned back her attention to the two students in front of her and grabbed the money from their hands, telling them to have fun and to not do anything that would cause an injury or a mess.

As the two students went into the booth, a basket was suddenly placed on top of the desk, making her raised her eyebrows in surprise. When she saw the little tangerines inside of it, she warmly smiled as she let out a small breath. She grabbed one and looked at Luffy with arched brows. "What's this?" Luffy slightly leaned to Nami, placing his elbow on top of the desk and his chin on his palm. "Just a little gift."

Nami softly chuckled at the answer, finally getting some needed serotonin today.

Luffy was about to say something when suddenly, Nami's phone rang. "Wait a minute, Luffy." She answered the call and listened to what the other has to say, humming in reply a second before the call ended. When she closed her phone, she informed the students in the line that they were done for today and the haunted house would start again tomorrow. After, she also informed the students inside the room that the booth would be close now and they were going to continue it tomorrow.

There were whines, groans, and whispers from the students; genuinely displeased that they have to wait for another day to come just to experience the haunted house. Once the majority left the building, the only ones remaining were Luffy and Nami, and a few students who were inside the classroom.

Though they were quiet—which was weird considering how noisy Luffy was—the silence between them was comfortable. Peeling the tangerine on her hand, Nami decided to break the silence and asked the other a question. "Why did you buy this?" Luffy focused his gaze on the basket, not wanting to meet her eyes since he was going to say something cheesy. "The color reminded me of you."

Nami's cheeks flushed a light shade of red, embarrassed at the answer the other gave. "Well... tangerines are my favorite, so, thank you." She munched on the fruit as she looked at the window in front of them, watching the clouds move slowly while waiting for his reply.

Luffy giggled childishly, warmth engulfing his cheeks. "You know Nami... I like oranges too! I really like them"

The tone he used made Nami thought that the orange he was referring to wasn't necessarily the citrus. She brushed off the idea though, thinking that she was just overanalyzing it. "You like oranges that much?"

She wasn't expecting anything, that's why she was surprised when Luffy suddenly looked at her with a glint in his eyes and a fond smile: a double threat to her heart. Why was it a double threat? She doesn't know, but she does feel something weird in her heart the moment she met his eyes. She finds the feeling uncomfortable, but she doesn't dislike it. Quite weird honestly, but she doesn't mind.

"Hn. I like it a lot."

Was supposed to be what Luffy should have said, but due to his honesty and lack of control over his words, he instead blurted out, "Hn. I like you a lot."

As soon as Nami heard that, her eyes widened in shock and her lips slightly trembled. "W-what did you just say?" she stuttered as she felt her cheeks and the tips of her ears getting warmer each passing second. She felt her heart beating rapidly, waiting in anticipation of what the other would say. It's either she misheard it or he meant it as an "I like you as a friend" way, but that doesn't make sense since it was irrelevant to the topic.

When Luffy realized what he had just said, he wanted to instantly hide in embarrassment. It was stupid of him to suddenly tell his feelings to her! Though he indeed likes her, today wasn't the right time to confess! He didn't prepare anything that would help him with this sudden confession, and the fact that they only know each other for a few months, being rejected was inevitable.

Yet instead of making up an excuse, he still continued. "I like you," he whispered loud enough for the other to hear, leaning closer to Nami to the point she can see herself in his eyes. Before she could reply, Luffy continued with his confession, his face becoming redder with each word he let out. "I like you for a long time and if you don't feel the same way, it's okay."

Nami's eyes softened as she stared at Luffy, who was still looking intensely at her. If he was any other boy, she would have rejected them right on the spot. But the sight of Luffy made her think otherwise. Specifically his eyes. His eyes were so honest and earnest, making his words feel genuine, and Nami found herself enthralled to them. It was like something inside of her thought that ' _hey? maybe this won't be so bad_.'

She let out a small exhale and uttered, "Okay." Luffy slightly parted his lips in both surprise and confusion, creating a distance between them so that he can see her whole face properly. He wasn't rejected? Or he was? He was having mixed feelings about this.

"I don't like you in that way," Nami explained. Though her words were straightforward, Luffy wasn't hurt by it, probably because he was already expecting it. "But," she paused for a few seconds to think about how she should word her condition. "But if you can manage to change my mind, then maybe I'll fall for you."

Everything that was happening right now between them was cliché, to say the least; however, Nami smiled warmly at the thought and at how the other reacted with what she said. Both his eyes and smile were cheeky, his cheeks were slightly pink. And then for a split second, she can see the determination in his eyes before she was pulled gently into a hug. His arms wrapped around her neck, and his chin resting on her shoulder.

Then, he whispered into her ear. "Alright, Nami! I'll make you fall for me!"

"Don't be so confident, idiot!"


End file.
